


A Spring of Hope

by TheKingofMyths



Series: Thor and Loki's Life in the Zombie Apocalypse [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: (Not between Thor or Loki), Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brief Graphic Violence, Dark Thor (Marvel), Fat Thor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Loki and Thor Are Not Related, Loki is 15 and Thor is 40, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Svadilfari/Loki, Oral Sex, Size Difference, Trans Loki (Marvel), Trans Male Character, dubcon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:48:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21628645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKingofMyths/pseuds/TheKingofMyths
Summary: 3 years had passed since Loki had started living in the apartment complex with Svad and his group. 3 years since he had set foot outside. He knew the world was dangerous and he was too weak, frail and young to survive a single day out there on his own, but what he wouldn't give to go out and feel the rain on his skin. To get far away from this place and away from Svad.An opportunity presents itself when a stranger by the name of Thor visits the complex. He's giant, even larger than Svad and clearly strong and capable, seeming to have survived on his own for the last 3 years. Loki knows very little about Thor, but he's desperate. Desperate enough to offer Thor the use of his body, in exchange for letting Loki travel with him and to protect him from any danger they might face.
Relationships: Loki/Thor
Series: Thor and Loki's Life in the Zombie Apocalypse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562731
Comments: 21
Kudos: 180
Collections: Thorki Big Bang 2019





	A Spring of Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! ^^ This was my first time participating in a big bang and I definitely learned a lot and had lots of fun! This is my fic, a zombie apocalypse AU (that lacks zombies for now)! It's only the beginning of the story, though and unfortunately I didn't have enough time to write all of Thor and Loki's adventures lmao. But I hope you enjoy the beginning of their story and how they meet!💕  
> (And the art will be added soon ^^)

It was raining the day Loki met Thor for the first time.

It was the end of April and it seemed like Spring wanted to get one last spring storm out before Summer officially began.

Loki had woken up alone that day, a giant _boom_ of thunder waking him up and startling him. Svad had already left, their shared bed empty, which was a relief to Loki. The rest of the apartment was silent except for the sound of the rain drumming against the roof and hitting the panes of the window.

Loki stayed in bed for a good hour, hiding under the covers, his neck still hurting from the night before. He didn’t dare get up and look at the marks he knew Svad had left on him. He was too scared of what he’d find if he looked.

It was only when his stomach started to cramp from hunger and grumble loudly at him that Loki eventually got up, dragging himself into the kitchen to find some food.

There were some fresh apricots from the rooftop garden that he grabbed and brought back into the bedroom, but he didn’t eat them right away.

His throat was too sore and seeing as it hurt when he swallowed his own spit, he didn’t want to think about trying to eat.

The rest of the day, he stayed in the bedroom, sleeping and occasionally reading from one of the few books in the small bookshelf in the corner of the room (Loki had already read through them multiple times, but it was one of his few sources of entertainment he had and he still reread them). He attempted to nibble on one of the apricots later in the day, immediately wincing as he swallowed down a few bites.

He didn’t finish it.

He went into the bathroom to take a quick shower when he noticed the sun starting to set, knowing Svad would be back soon and expecting Loki to be ready for him.

When night eventually fell, Loki sat on his perch on the windowsill, watching the heavy downpour and trying to ignore the way his neck throbbed each time he swallowed (he still hadn’t looked at it). Dinnertime had passed, which meant Svad would be here any minute and Loki was savoring the last minutes he had to himself. Watching the rain was one of his favorite pastimes and he imagined what it would be like to go outside, to feel the rain on his skin, maybe even jump in a few puddles like he had when he was younger.

But he knew Svad would never let him. Several months ago, Loki had asked him if he could maybe go outside and onto the roof to see the garden and help with it.

The giant bruise Loki had received on his cheek had taken weeks to heal.

Loki hadn’t asked Svad for anything ever since then, and definitely nothing that involved going outside.

There was suddenly a knock at the bedroom, snapping Loki out of his thoughts. He flinched at the sound, his body immediately tensing up as the door opened and he turned away from the window to (speak of the devil) see Svad enter, a smile on his face.

Whether or not that was a good sign, Loki had no idea. It was getting harder and harder to predict Svad’s moods these days and Loki was always on guard.

“Hi, Svad,” Loki said quietly as the man approached him, immediately noticing the small bag in his hand, curious as to what Svad would be bringing him this time.

Svad stood in front of Loki and held out his hand, which Loki took and Svad helped him down from the windowsill, “I have a present for you, Princess.”

Loki cringed internally at the petname, but gave Svad a small smile and did his best to seem excited. “Oh, really? Thank you!”

“Here, put this on,” Svad said, handing Loki the bag and placing a kiss on Loki’s forehead, “I hope you like them.”

“I love every gift you give me,” Loki stated, even if it was in fact the complete opposite of what he felt, and stood up on his tiptoes to kiss Svad’s cheek before walking over to the bed. He pulled the contents of the bag and spread them out onto the bed to get a good look at them.

It was new clothes, but not just any clothes.

There was a pair of black stockings, along with some garter belts, panties and a large white sweater that he could tell would look more like a dress on him. They were all in surprisingly good condition and smelled clean, so Svad must’ve had them washed before giving them to Loki. He was a bit surprised by it all, since these types of clothes weren’t exactly a priority to find or obtain these days and he already had a good amount of lingerie gifted to him, so getting new sets of them was a surprise.

Loki wasn’t sure how he felt about the gift, but if Svad wanted him to dress up and look pretty for him...Loki could do that.

He quickly threw off the current clothes he was wearing, fully aware of Svad’s eyes on him, before taking the lingerie and putting them on, struggling briefly with the garter-belts (he’d never worn them before, it took him a minute to figure them out). When he was done he walked over to the dresser in his room, opening it to reveal a mirror on the inside of it.

(He made sure not to look once at his neck.)

Loki looked...well he supposed he looked pretty. The black stockings looked nice, highlighting his long legs. The sweater was fairly loose on him and actually fit fairly well, although the white clashed slightly with his pale skin. He turned around, twisting his head back to look at his reflection and noted that the sweater fell just over the curve of his ass, accentuating it. 

Loki wasn’t sure how he felt about the outfit, but it didn’t really matter what he thought.

“You look beautiful, Princess,” Svad walked up to Loki and stood behind him, placing his hands on Loki’s hips and gripping them tightly. He kissed the top of Loki’s head, “So pretty, just for me.

Loki looked at their combined reflection in the mirror, at how small and frail Loki looked in front of Svad and how large the man was compared to him. It was a stark reminder to how much stronger Svad was than Loki and that if he wanted to survive, he needed to play his part.

It was then that Loki finally saw his neck for the first time that day.

It was truly an ugly sight, his neck covered in dark red bruises and Loki knew that they would take much longer to heal than the bruise on his cheek had.

And Loki knew Svad would most likely leave bruises on his hips, similar to the one on his neck, if he kept his hands gripping Loki tightly there.

(To mark Loki more. Svad always had to leave marks in the shape of his hands on Loki.)

But he couldn’t focus on that right now, not when Svad was expecting a reply from him. 

Loki did his best to smile and turned around to face Svad, placing his hands on the man’s chest, “I like looking pretty for you, Svad.”

(He didn’t. He hated it.)

Svad smiled back down at Loki and finally let go of him, raising one of his hands up (Loki did his best not to flinch) and stroking Loki’s cheek (the one he hadn’t bruised months before) with the back of it. “I’m gonna take a shower now, Princess. Think you could pick out some nice clothes for me? And go take the nice wine into the living room?”

“Of course,” Loki nodded and Svad gave him one last kiss on the forehead before going into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Loki leaned against the wall, and slowly slid down it until he was sitting on the floor, with his head in his hands.

He could feel tears begin to well up in his eyes and his chest tighten up, making it harder for him to breathe (the bruises on his throat didn’t help either). He did his best to keep calm, since he couldn’t afford to let Svad hear him and the last thing he wanted to do was to cry in front of him.

“You're OK,” Loki whispered to himself, wrapping his arms himself in an imitation of a hug. He repeated those words a few times and took in slow deep breaths, until the pressure on his chest eventually lessened.

He sat there for a moment, listening to the shower run in the background (Svad must’ve turned it on while Loki was trying to calm himself down) and wiped away the tears in the corners of his eyes.

He would be fine, he just needed to do as he was told.

He pushed himself up, his legs a little shaky, but managed to stand back up and looked at his reflection in the mirror of the dresser. Thankfully, it didn’t look like he’d been on the verge of tears, and his face wasn’t puffy or covered in tear tracks.

His gaze jumped down to the bruises on his neck, but he quickly turned away from the mirror, looking inside the dresser.

Svad had requested “nice clothes” and that combined with asking Loki to get some wine out, Svad had probably wanted to treat himself with a “romantic” night with Loki.

That was probably...manageable.

Svad was usually nicer on those “romantic” nights, since it was always an attempt to spoil Loki, even if the entire thing was more for Svad’s enjoyment. And if Loki could get Svad drunk enough, maybe he’d pass out or get too drunk for his temper to flare up. Maybe Loki could have a peaceful night. Maybe…

A sudden idea came to Loki out of nowhere, something he had never thought of before.

Maybe...if Svad passed out, Loki could even sneak out onto the roof and get some fresh air, maybe even step into the rain. He didn’t need permission from Svad that way and if he was careful enough, no one would ever know.

Except Loki, of course. He’d know and he’d cherish his memories of his time on the roof if he managed to get up there.

The idea brightened Loki’s mood and he felt himself genuinely smile a little.

He could do this. He had a goal now and he would do his best to play the part as Svad’s perfect, sweet and docile little pet.

He quickly pulled out one of Svad’s favorite suits and placed it neatly out on the bed for Svad for when he got out of the shower. Loki hoped Svad would be pleased with his choice and not yell at Loki for choosing something wrong, but tried not to worry too much about it and second guess his choice.

Second guessing led to mistakes and he couldn’t afford mistakes.

He walked out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him and across the apartment, into the kitchen. There were only a few wines stored in one of the cupboards and Loki knew which one Svad favored, so he wouldn’t have to agonize over which one to pick. He grabbed the bottle and two glasses, bringing into the living room and being extra careful not to drop anything (he could still feel the sting from the slap he’d received last time he’d dropped a glass on accident). He placed them all on the small coffee table and poured a bit of wine in both glasses.

He paused, looking down at the setup, the filled wine glasses and the already half emptied bottle.

Maybe...there wasn’t enough alcohol to get Svad drunk. Maybe Loki would have to take it further, if he wanted to have the chance to go outside?

He knew Svad had some sleeping medicine in the bathroom he sometimes took on bad nights, maybe if Loki snuck some in-

Loki jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Svad standing there, with a frown on his face. He must've just come out of the shower and Loki hadn't heard, too focused on his tasks.

"Something wrong, Princess?” there was a tone in Svad’s tone that warned Loki to choose his next words wisely.

“No, you just startled me," Loki replied back, giving Svad a small smile, “I, uh, hope I choose the right clothes for you. And I got the wine like you asked!”

Svad was actually wearing the suit Loki had picked, which was a good sign. 

“You did, you choose exactly the one I was thinking of,” Svad confirmed, smiling down at Loki, but it quickly turned into a frown when he reached his arm out, picking up the wine bottle on the coffee table and reading the label.

“Wouldn’t have picked this one-”

Loki felt himself freeze and his breathing stop.

He’d messed up, he’d made a mistake and Svad would be mad and yell at him and maybe even leave more bruises on him-

“-but it’ll do.”

Loki let out a small sigh, his body relaxing slightly as Svad set the bottle back down and sat down on the couch behind the coffee table. He patted his lap, “Come here, Princess. I have something to tell you.”

Loki did as he was told and perched himself on Svad’s lap, waiting for him to speak first.

“I have a special guest coming up here tonight, Princess and I’ve invited him up here to...talk about a few things,” Svad placed his hand on Loki’s cheek and turned his head, making sure they were facing each other, “You think you’d be ok with that?”

A...special guest?

Svad never once had invited _guests_ up here.

The last time anyone had been up here was a year ago and that had been before Svad decided that instead of using his apartment living room, he'd go downstairs to meet with other people living in the apartment to plan group patrols. Occasionally, someone would come up here for whatever reason, but Svad would usually lock Loki in the bedroom, making sure he stayed hidden.

(Making sure Loki didn’t interact with them.)

It was strange how Svad was inviting someone up here now, but Loki wouldn’t question him. No, he was perfectly fine with it, as long as Svad was.

“Of course, I don’t mind,” Loki replied and he paused, contemplating whether or not he should add more or if it’d be overkill. He decided to just go for it and put his hand over Svad’s, lowered his eyes to stare down at his lap and put on his best pout, “just as long as they aren't...dangerous or anything and that I don't have to...talk to them.

He made sure to make his voice wobble, which wasn’t hard to do since he'd done it before when speaking to Svad.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Princess. No, don’t you worry. All you have to do is stay in the bedroom and entertain yourself in there for a little while, but I know you can do that just fine,” Svad smirked and stroked Loki’s leg through his stockings. “And if you behave perfectly, after our guest leaves, maybe I'll even give you a treat.”

There was a knock at the front door and Loki immediately jumped at the noise. Svad just chuckled and nudged Loki off his lap, "That would probably be him. Go on back to the bedroom and make sure to close the door. I'll come and get you when he leaves."

Loki nodded and walked back towards the bedroom, heading inside and shutting the door behind him.

He sat back down on the bed, pulling his knees up to his chest and sighed.

He heard the front door to the apartment open followed by the muffled sound of Svad greeting his guest.

If Loki was completely honest, he was genuinely curious about this "guest".

He doubted it was one of the guard's or anything, since Svad wouldn't go to all that effort to dress nicely. And it definitely wasn't Amora or any of the other prostitutes in the building, since Svad kept Loki around for that.

So, who?

Loki sat there for several minutes, lost in his own thoughts as he sat on the bed and looked out the window, watching the still pouring rain.

A loud laughter from the living room startled him and he immediately turned towards the bedroom door.

What were they talking about out there?

Loki's climbed down from the bed, walked over to the door and pressed his ear to it.

He could hear low muffled voices but couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

Loki knew Svad hadn't locked the door this time, since he hadn't followed Loki to the bedroom and went straight over to greet his guest.

So Loki _could_ walk out into the hallway and listen in on the conversation, but there was a chance he could get caught.

Loki's curiosity won over and he slowly opened the bedroom door, glad that it didn't squeak or make much noise as he did.

He walked out into the hallway, stopping just before the archway leading into the living room.

He could hear them now, loud and clear.

"You know, my father built these apartments. Before this place was just trees and dirt, but he cleared it all out and made this building. I inherited it from him after he passed away, of course and I've taken care of this place ever since."

That would be Svad, recounting the history of this place. Loki had heard it so many times at this point; Svad's rich father had bought some property near some rich houses. The property he'd bought was part of a nearby forest, so he'd cleared all the trees and wildlife out, then built a giant expensive apartment building.

Svad was always so proud of the story, whereas Loki had to stop himself from rolling his eyes whenever Svad retold it. It just reminded him of how much he truly hated this place.

"I see. So when the Outbreak started, I'm guessing you were already here and managed to keep you and your tenants safe inside," a new voice spoke, that Loki could guess was the guest speaking.

His voice was low and deep, with a steady tone to it and...something else Loki couldn't quite identify. But whatever it was sent a shiver down his spine and made his breath quicken.

He'd never found a _voice_ attractive, until now apparently.

He couldn't help but wonder what this guest looked like and if he was as attractive as his voice.

His thoughts were cut off when Svad cleared his throat and Loki turned his attention back to the conversation.

"Something like that. I'm afraid that quite a few of my tenants were out when the Outbreak began...I never did see them, again," Loki heard Svad sigh, "But ever since that day, I've made this building a safe place for any survivors who come by. And we're so lucky to be thriving here. It would be an honor if you decided to stay. We'd be lucky to have someone like you here to help out. But I would respect your choice if you left. I know not everyone can stay in one place for so long."

"I'll...think about it," Svad's guest spoke.

Oh. So Svad wanted this guest to stay here. Permanently. Now it all made sense.

Svad was extremely particular about who he let stay here. Everyone living here had some purpose and usefulness that Svad could use them for and there was absolutely no freeloading.

No, you could only stay here if you could contribute something Svad thought would benefit this place.

So what could this guest contribute?

Loki crept towards the end of the hallway and glanced out into the living room. From the angle, he could see half of room, specifically the giant armchairs that stood across from the couch, where Loki assumed Svad was sitting.

And sitting in one of the armchairs was Svad's guest.

He was just as attractive as his voice, maybe even more.

He had short cropped golden hair, accompanied by a beard covering the lower half of his face. As for his eyes, the man had what looked like an eyepatch over his left eye and Loki couldn't see the other one from the angle he was in.

He wore a thick pair of boots that seemed to be covered in mud (Loki was surprised Svad let the man wear them inside), jeans that were faded and ragged, and a simple t-shirt that did little to hide his broad shoulders, and the prominent muscles in his arms as he crossed them over his chest, looking across the room (at Loki assumed was Svad).

He was...hairy, scruffy and kind of unkempt. It was clear the man hadn't exactly been living luxuriously before he got here, but he looked well fed and healthy. It didn't seem like he'd been struggling to survive before he got here.

But what stood out most about the man was his size. 

Even though he just sitting, Loki could tell the man was big. The chair, which normally could fit Svad and Loki (albeit on his lap) just fine with a little extra room to spare, this man filled up completely. He looked slightly uncomfortable sitting there, fit snugly into the chair with his back straight against the backrest as his long legs stretched out across the floor.

He looked rather funny sitting there in a too small chair, Loki couldn't help but think as a giggle managed to escape him.

He immediately froze, as the man turned in Loki's direction and their eyes met (well, Loki's eyes and the man's one eye).

Loki quickly ducked back into the hallway, away from the man's view and hoped Svad hadn't noticed Loki's slip up.

"Do you live here alone up here?" the man suddenly asked and Loki felt his chest tighten. Even if Svad hadn't heard Loki, the man might expose him.

Svad answered immediately, "No. My lover, Loki, also lives here with me. But I'm afraid he's awfully shy and...well, the Outbreak left lots of mental scars on him and I'm afraid he's quite traumatized. He doesn't go out much these days."

 _More like not at all_ , Loki thought bitterly, his anger distracting him from the situation for a moment.

"Why do you ask?" Svad questioned. There was no suspicion in his voice, which was a good sign.

"I was just curious. Seems like a big apartment for one man."

Loki let out a sigh of relief. For some reason, the man hadn't exposed him and for that, Loki was grateful.

"Oh, it is quite large. I actually grew up in this apartment with my family. Maybe someday I'll even raise my own children here, with Loki, if things continue as they are," Svad chuckled to himself. 

With that, Loki walked back over to the open door of the bedroom and walked inside, closing the door quietly behind him.

He laid back down on the bed, processing all that he'd heard and seen.

This man, Svad's guest, might become a permanent resident. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that, but the man...hadn't revealed to Svad that Loki had been standing there. Loki couldn't help but wonder why, but tried not to dwell too much on it.

It probably wouldn't matter in the long run since even if the man stayed, Loki would never see or interact with him, not with Svad keeping him locked up and isolated.

Around ten minutes had passed when Loki heard the sound of heavy footsteps and the front door opening and closing. The apartment was quiet as he waited another few minutes and heard the front door open again.

"Loki!" Svad called, "You can come out now!"

Loki quickly got up and left the bedroom, returning to the living room once again and finding Svad sitting on the couch. He patted his lap and Loki sat back on it in the familiar position.

"Did you miss me?" Svad asked smiling down at him.

"Very much," Loki replied back and laid his head against Svad's chest, "I was so bored without you."

Svad wrapped his arms around Loki and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I'm sorry, Princese, but I had to do important business. I had to convince our guest to stay here permanently."

Loki pretended to act surprised and widened his eyes, "A new resident? We haven't had one in ages."

"I know, but I have a good feeling about this one. He's strong. Took out several zombies out there while some of the others were out patrolling the other day and protected them as they travelled back here. He saved quite a few people," Svad chuckled and muttered to himself, "Thor Odinson truly is a beast of a man…"

Thor Odinson.

So that was the man's name. It was very fitting in Loki's opinion.

Loki wanted to ask Svad more, especially from the way he'd spoken Thor's name it almost seemed like Svad had known him before the Outbreak, but he doubted Svad would tell him anything if he asked.

"Um, Svad…you promised I'd get a treat if I stayed in my room" Loki said instead, fluttering his eyelashes up at Svad.

"Oh!" Svad grinned down at Loki, "Of course, anything for you, Princess."

\-----

Svad passed out on the couch a few hours later.

The "treat" he'd promised Loki wasn't anything special, it just turned into one of their usual nights together with Loki sitting on Svad's lap, responding to flirting and doing whatever to please the man.

But the whole time, Loki had made sure to pour Svad generous amounts of wine, doing his best to get him thoroughly drunk. The incident from earlier when Thor had caught him eavesdropping had spooked him a little, but it wasn't enough for him to abandon his plans to sneak out onto the roof.

He was prepared for Svad to request him to pleasure him in some way, maybe to suck him off or stroke his cock, but it never came.

Svad only asked Loki to go get more wine, after he noticed the current bottle was empty. Loki went into the kitchen to retrieve it, but when he came back, Svad was slumped over on the couch, his eyes closed and snoring loudly.

Loki approached slowly, setting the new wine bottle on the table and standing over Svad, watching him.

“Svad?” Loki whispered, but received no response from the man other than a snore.

Loki smiled to himself, knowing his plan had worked and now he finally had his chance to sneak outside!

He rushed into the bedroom, making sure to keep his steps quiet and headed straight for the bed. He crouched down and reached underneath it, pulling out an old canvas backpack. It was a little dusty, but to Loki, that was a good sign, since it meant it had been untouched since Loki had last pulled it out.

He unclasped the buckles on the bag, opening it and reached inside, pulling out a piece of clothing from it.

It was a dark green satin robe, incredibly soft to the touch and still in good condition, clearly having been taken care of well.

Loki set it down briefly before tearing off the clothes Svad had given him, breathing a sigh of relief once they were all off. He took the robe and wrapped it around himself, the smooth satin soothing his nerves and immediately calming him down.

(He even forgot about his neck for a brief moment).

The robe was the only piece of clothing Loki owned that Svad hadn’t given to him; Amora had, the last time he’d seen her two years ago.

Before Loki had begun living in Svad’s apartment permanently, he’d stayed with Amora in her apartment on the lower floor for a few months and Loki could look back on those months with fond memories.

He’d found the robe among a pile of her clothes when helping her sort through them and had been enamored with it immediately. He’d never owned, let alone worn anything like it. Loki guessed Amora had seen how much Loki had liked it and let him keep it.

“But are you sure?” Loki had asked her.

She had shrugged and smiled at him, patting his head, “It doesn’t really fit me anymore, plus it’d look way better on you than me. Matches your eyes real nice.”

Loki had treasured it since then, only ever wearing it whenever Svad was out on patrol (which was rare these days) and couldn’t suddenly burst into the apartment to see Loki wearing it. It was a gift from Amora and had nothing to do with Svad. And Loki wanted to keep it that way.

It was a bit of a risk wearing it now, but he didn’t want to wear anything Svad had given him when he snuck out onto the roof, to be reminded of the man who kept him trapped inside this apartment.

Loki quickly closed his backpack and shoved it back under the bed in its previous hiding spot. 

He didn’t have any shoes he could wear; he’d grown out of his last pair years ago and it was the one thing Svad had never bothered to get for him (afterall why would he needs proper shoes if he never went outside). But thankfully he did have a pair of slippers that would work and he quickly put them on before walking back into the living room.

He stopped in front of Svad, who was still laying there, fast asleep and snoring away.

Loki smiled and sneaked past him, towards the front door. He carefully turned the knob and opened the door just enough for him to squeeze past and out into the hallway. He slowly closed the door behind him, making sure it didn’t creak.

He let out a sigh of relief when he managed to close it successfully without it making a sound. He turned back around and glanced down the hallway, smiling to himself when he saw that it was empty.

Of course it was, Svad and him were the only ones on this floor, Svad only allowing people up here during the daytime to access the roof when they needed to check on the garden. Besides a few people guarding the front doors on the very first floor, everyone else would be in their own rooms by now because of the mandatory curfew that Svad had set.

Afterall, anyone caught outside of their rooms after curfew, would automatically be kicked out of the building and left for dead.

The curfew was taken very seriously because of that.

Loki let out a small chuckle when he realized the irony at the fact that the curfew allowed him to sneak out without being seen.

But the curfew wouldn't even exist and Loki wouldn't even be living with Svad if it weren't for...Loki's father.

He shook his head and pushed those thoughts away. His goal was to sneak up onto the garden and he couldn't let anything else distract him.

The floor was empty and Loki doubted anyone would come up here, but even so, he made sure to keep his steps quiet as he walked over to the other end of the hallway to the door that led to the rooftop.

It wasn’t locked, which Loki had admittedly been worried about even though he knew it shouldn’t be. He quickly opened the door and climbed up the stairs, not stopping when he reached the last door that separated the staircase to the roof, and pushed it open.

He stepped out onto the rooftop and took in a deep breath of fresh air, that wasn’t from a window, for the first time in years. He could smell the rain, wet soil and concrete, and the faint scent of fruits and flowers coming from the garden.

It was still raining, but not quite as heavily as before and was now drizzling at a steady pace. He was grateful for the overhang above him, preventing him from getting soaked.

It was fairly dark now that it was night, but luckily there were a few outdoor lights dotting the roof, shining just enough to give Loki a good view of the area. He looked out across, seeing the many small puddles that had been created in the dips on the ground, perfect for jumping in (whether or not he would attempt to try that, he didn’t know). He also got a good look at the many planters scattered across the roof, making up the garden that provided all of the fresh fruits and vegetables for everyone here. From where he was standing, Loki could see that the garden seemed to be doing well, the plants all looked well taken care of and very green. He could even see the apricot tree and how big it had gotten.

Loki remembered when he’d planted the seed for it in the little cracked pot he’d found up here on the roof. For an entire year, he'd come up here with his father almost everyday to check on the little plant and how much it'd grown.

But then his father died and Loki didn't bother to visit the garden again. And then he simply couldn't after he started living with Svad.

Loki shook his head, pushing the memory to the back of his mind.

Best not to think of that right now and to focus on the present. Because he was here now and could see that his little plant had grown up nicely.

Loki turned his attention back to the garden and stood there, watching as the rain fell.

He wasn’t too keen on getting soaked, but getting his arm a little wet wouldn’t hurt. He extended his hand out from underneath the overhang and let the cold rain hit his skin.

He couldn’t help the giggle he let out, which quickly developed into a full on laughter. He tried to stop himself and covered his mouth when he realized he might be too loud and someone might hear him.

“You have to stay calm,” he whispered to himself, taking in another deep breath.

The rain had felt so nice on his skin, so cool and refreshing, so different from the shower in the apartment.

He’d missed rain so much.

Before he could second guess his actions, he walked out from under the overhang, towards the garden and into the rain. It was almost like he was taking a casual stroll as he wandered among the greenery, extending his hands as he walked by the planters to let them brush along the wet leaves of the plants as he passed them by. He’d occasionally stop and crouch by a plant to examine, see if it was bearing any fruit, or if its leaves were brown or wilted. A few looked like they needed more attention, but for the most part the garden looked well taken care of. It made Loki so happy to see the plants all thriving on this little garden on the roof.

Even if Loki wasn’t, at least these little guys were. Even if the world was fucked up, there was still little signs of life flourishing and...that was enough to bring a smile to Loki’s face.

He crouched down in front of what he assumed was a strawberry bush, looking over the leaves and seeing if anything had bloomed yet, when he suddenly heard a deep voice behind him.

“I doubt you should be out here right now.”

Loki startled and began to panic, thinking he’d been found out and he’d be sent back to the apartment, back to Svad and his abuse, back to being isolated and living the rest of his life in misery (if he even lived for very long). 

He turned around, prepared to make up whatever excuse, something to ease whatever punishment waited for him and immediately bumped into a solid thick wall of muscle.

He expected to find one of Svad’s men, but then he looked up. And up. And up. Until he finally saw the face of the person who had found him - not one of Svad’s men, newcomer; Thor, who was holding an old umbrella over both of them (Loki recalled an umbrella that had been laying next to the rooftop door hat he'd completely ignored).

Loki let out a sigh of relief. So, he hadn’t been found out quite yet, although whether Thor would tell anyone he’d found Loki up here, he had no idea (he had a feeling not, based on earlier, but that could have just been a one off). To be honest, Loki _should_ be scared and panicking, since now he was alone on the roof with a strange (giant) man he knew nothing about, but Loki wasn’t scared. Thor probably couldn’t do anything worse than Svad could.

“Ah,” Thor seemed to have finally recognized Loki and looked fairly surprised. “You’re Svad’s…” his voice trailed off, clearly unsure how to finish the sentence.

Loki understood why. Svad had simply called Loki his "lover", but perhaps Thor wasn't comfortable using that word. Or maybe he could tell Loki really wasn't what Svad said he was.

“Whore, kept boy, slut, boytoy...take your pick,” Loki finished for him, looking down at the ground, his voice quiet. 

Thor was silent for a moment before he cleared his throat, “Right, well, we should really get out of the rain, it’s going to start pouring more soon.”

“Sure,” Loki muttered and followed Thor as he headed to the other side of the roof where a different, much larger overhang had been set up over a few of the smaller plants, just starting to bloom and needed more shelter from the weather.

Just as Thor had said, as soon as they were safely under the overhang, the rain quickly went from a light drizzle to a hard downpour.

Loki glanced over at Thor, who was standing beside him with his arms crossed over his chest and looking out at the rain. He was even bigger up close and Loki felt...very small. He knew how short and skinny he was, especially compared to Svad who was six feet tall. But that feeling paled in comparison to how _tiny_ Loki felt next to Thor, who was clearly way over six feet (Loki’s head didn’t even come up to the top of Thor’s shoulders!) and just...so massive. Loki recalled the meeting Thor and Svad had earlier, how the t-shirt Thor had worn did nothing to conceal his thick arms, broad shoulders and large stomach.

Thor was tall, big, most likely very strong and in general, just seemed very intimidating. Loki couldn't help but wonder who Thor had been before the Outbreak?

Had he been in the military? Or maybe he'd been some type of bodyguard?

The idea of Thor as a bodyguard, appealed to Loki for some reason. He could easily see Thor defending someone and protecting them.

An unbidden thought drifted into Loki's head...of Thor protecting _Loki_ and keeping him safe. Safe from the outside world and the zombies that littered it and from the dangerous people out there.

(From Svad.)

Thor would protect Loki and hold him close in his strong arms, easily shielding him-

Loki shook his head and knew he was blushing, his face hot, as he realized what exactly he’d been thinking. No, those weren't very good thoughts to entertain. Thor was just a stranger and Loki knew nothing about him.

Plus, it seemed liked he wasn't exactly planning on staying here. 

Loki turned his attention back on Thor and noticed how he wasn't exactly dressed the same way as earlier, back in Svad's apartment. 

Now, he had on a thick faded-gray jacket that fit his large frame and somehow made him look even bigger. Then there was the backpack he wore on his shoulders, that Loki assumed was what Thor had on him when he arrived at the apartment complex.

“I guess you don’t plan on taking Svad’s offer to stay here,” Loki stated, breaking the silence between them and knowing it was true even before he said it. 

He wasn't sure whether he was disappointed or not that Thor seemed to be leaving.

Thor glanced down at Loki before looking back out at the roof, “No, I don’t.”

No explanation as to why, not that Loki needed one and he hadn’t expected Thor to tell him more.

“...So, Svad wasn’t very successful in winning you over?” Loki asked and wondered if Thor would tell him anything else or keep quiet.

“No, he wasn't. And the woman he sent to my room didn't work, either,” Thor replied back.

Loki was confused by Thor's statement. "...What woman?"

"Tall, blond, curvy. Amora was her name, I think. She knocked on my door only ten minutes after I'd been shown an apartment I could stay in," Thor paused before continuing, "She offered herself to me. Said it was courtesy of Svad, but I sent her away."

"Oh…" Loki looked down at the ground, processing what Thor had just told him. So Svad had let Thor stay in one of the apartments and sent Amora over to...sweeten the deal and convince Thor to stay here.

It made sense why Svad chose Amora. Not only was she incredibly beautiful and skilled at her job (or so Loki had been told), but she was also extremely clever and had a way with words. Loki remembered that she'd been nicknamed the "Enchantress" by some of the others because she always managed to get special gifts and favors from others.

It was no wonder he'd sent Amora to convince Thor to stay.

"Why did you turn her down?" Loki asked, turning to Thor and looking up at him in confusion. Most of the men here would give anything to spend a night with her, she was more than beautiful and would’ve done her best to seduce Thor, so why?

“She’s not my type,” Thor said, then added with a growl, “And you can tell Svad that no amount of pretty faces or empty promises can convince me to stay here.”

Loki nodded, staying silent as he turned away from Thor.

So...Thor hadn’t had sex with Amora or used her in any way. That was...surprising, but Loki was glad. Glad that Amora hadn’t been forced into anything and glad that Thor was not easily swayed by that kind of thing.

(Glad that Thor hadn’t let Svad win him over and be one of his little minions, always willing to take orders.)

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew by and Loki shivered, hugging himself. It was then that he realized that he was dripping wet, his robe soaked and skin freezing cold. He’d barely noticed before, so focused on the garden and lost in the experience of being outside for once. But now…

“Here.”

A heavy weight was placed around his shoulders and he looked up to see Thor wrapping his jacket around Loki. It was massive on Loki, enveloping his completely and extending all the way down to his knees. It smelled like sweat and dirt, but it was actually incredibly soft on the inside, not to mention warm and dry.

“But don’t you need it?” Loki asked, turning to Thor and looking up at him, “Since you’re leaving.”

Thor merely shrugged, “It’s fine, I’ll manage. I have other jackets I can use.”

Even if that was true, Loki could tell that either this jacket was extremely old and something Thor had just nabbed or something he’d had from before the Outbreak and favored, wearing it so much that it had become slightly worn down. It was most likely the latter, since Loki doubted Thor found many clothes just lying around that would fit him.

The thought that Thor gifted Loki something that was potentially dear to him, it made Loki feel...cared for. Special.

(Loved, even.)

“...Thank you, I...appreciate it,” Loki said, his voice quiet and muffled as he wrapped the jacket more securely around himself.

“You’re welcome,” Thor said and smiled, for the first time since they’d met, at Loki.

Loki quickly turned away from Thor, suddenly feeling very warm and he knew it wasn’t just because of the jacket. He was blushing, again, this time from Thor’s smile.

Thor had looked, well…

Thor was already clearly a very handsome man, but when he had smiled, smiled down at Loki, he had looked so beautiful and attractive and Loki had felt...happy. Happy to get a smile out of Thor and happy to see it. Loki couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to see him smile like that all the time, to be on the receiving end of it.

“I should go before the rain starts up again,” Thor spoke, breaking Loki out of his thoughts.

Loki looked over to see that the rain had let up for a moment (although it’d most likely start again soon) and watched as Thor walked out from underneath the overhang.

Wait.

No.

Thor couldn’t leave yet.

Not yet.

The thought Loki had earlier -of Thor as a bodyguard, protecting Loki-, Thor's dislike of Svad, his small kindness in giving Loki his jacket, and the smile he'd given Loki. All of that combined into one idea in Loki's head. It was probably a stupid and bad idea, but Loki had to try.

“Wait, Thor!” Loki yelled after him. Thor immediately stopped in his tracks and turned back around, glancing at Loki in confusion. Loki quickly walked over to him and glanced up, making sure to look Thor in his one eye.

“Take me with you.”

“What?” 

Thor was taken aback, shock and confusion on his face as he took a few steps back away from Loki. “Take you with - NO.”

He didn’t yell, but his voice was firm as he narrowed his eye and glared down at Loki. “I don’t have companions. I travel alone and I only take care of myself. And I plan on having it stay that way. I’m not going to let you come with me so I can babysit you all the time.”

“Please!” Loki begged as he felt tears beginning to well in his eyes, “I can’t stay here! I’m trapped inside that fucking apartment all day and night! And I’m so scared all the time! Scared of Svad and what he’ll do to me if I make one wrong move or one mistake! I won’t survive if I stay here any longer! And even if I manage to survive, you heard him! He wants to impregnate me and make me have his children! I don't want that!"

Thor stayed silent and frowned, sighing, “I...don’t know.”

Loki _needed_ to win Thor over and convince him to let Loki come with him. Loki didn’t want to go back to the apartment, to Svad. He didn’t want to give up the outside world, not now that he’d gotten a taste of it. Everyone else here was either loyal to Svad or too scared of him and would _never_ help Loki.

But Thor could. He was big and strong and obviously didn’t care for Svad. He could get Loki out of here and protect him from the outside world.

But if Thor refused...Loki would go back to the apartment. He didn’t even want to think of what would happen when Svad found out Loki had gone up to the roof.

Loki knew he would have to resort to _that_ and hoped he would be able to convince Thor and win him over. 

Thor had said Amora wasn't his type, but maybe _Loki_ was.

He took in a deep breath and threw his shoulders back, Thor’s jacket slipping down his arms slightly. He reached down and untied the knot on his robe, letting it fall open to reveal his naked body underneath.

“If you take me with you...you can use me however you want.”

Thor stood there with a shocked expression on his face as his eyes drifted slowly over Loki’s body and looked over him.

And there was what Loki had hoped to see, what he'd seen in Svad's eyes so many times - the desire, the hunger, the _want_. It appeared in Thor’s eye as he gazed at Loki.

Amora might’ve not been Thor’s type, but Loki knew he was.

Thor opened his mouth to answer Loki, but before he could even speak, there was a loud shout behind them and a voice that Loki recognized.

“LOKI!”

Loki glanced behind Thor, his blood running cold when he saw Svad standing there, his face red and twisted in fury.

Thor reacted quickly, turning around to face Svad and pushing Loki behind him, holding his arm out and shielding him from Svad.

Svad stared at them, the fury on his face slowly changing from confusion to understanding, back to anger and finally to amusement, a cruel smile appearing on his face.

"Oh, I see what's going on here," Svad chuckled, taking a few steps towards them. "Amora wasn't enough for you. No, you had to have my Princess, too! You saw him earlier, didn't you?! That's why you asked if I lived with anyone else?!"

Loki trembled as Svad's voice raised and he clung to the back of Thor's shirt, gripping it tight in his hands.

He was more terrified than he had ever been in his life. Even more than when his mother had found out he was trans or when the Outbreak had happened. The fear he had felt back then during those times seemed like such a distant memory and didn't even compete to the terror that he felt now.

Svad would kill him. Even if he didn't, Loki could only imagine the pain he'd suffer and how he would certainly _wish_ he were dead.

His only hope now was Thor, who was shielding him from the man who had caused Loki so much pain over the last three years.

"You're right. I wanted Loki to myself," Thor replied back with no hesitation, his voice calm and steady.

Loki hadn't expected Thor to lie like that. Not at all.

Svad sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand, "You know, I respect you, Thor. I really do. I had hoped you'd decide to stay here and we could become friends. But I see that's just not a possibility any more. So I'll make you a deal. You give me back my Princess and you can leave. I won't go after you or ask anything else. We can pretend this never happened. I'll even throw in some free supplies and you're welcome to take any of the cars down in the garage."

Svad smiled and held out his hand towards Thor. "What do you say?"

Thor glanced back over his shoulder and down at Loki, who was still clinging tightly to him, then back at Svad.

"What will you do with Loki when I leave?"

Svad chuckled, "Oh, you don't have to worry about him. I'll take him back to my apartment where it's _safe_. And I'll make sure he won't be able to get out and put himself in any more danger."

Loki knew what that most likely meant he'd be locked in the bedroom all day, unless Svad decided to let him out.

Not only that but Loki doubted he would come out of this encounter without any more bruises on him. If Svad didn't kill him first.

"Thor...please, don't," Loki whispered, struggling to hold back his sobs.

Thor reached behind himself with one hand and placed it over Loki's, gently gripping them and pulling then off of his shirt.

"I have a better idea," Thor said, letting go of Loki's hands and walking over to Svad, stopping only when he was right in front of the man, towering over him. 

Svad didn't seem intimidated by Thor and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring up at him, "Alright, I'm listening."

Before Svad could even fight back or stop him, Thor suddenly grabbed Svad and slammed the man against the door to the roof, pinning him there by his throat. Svad's face quickly began turning red and he reached up, clawing desperately at Thor's hand to try to escape his grip.

Thor chuckled, "Here's my deal: I kill you and after I throw your pathetic body off the roof, I take Loki away from here."

Thor released Svad and the man collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. He let out a small grunt when Thor put his heavy boot on top of Svad's back.

"I think it's a better deal, don't you?" Thor asked, smiling down cruelty at Svad.

"No, you...can't," Svad managed to choke out as he squirmed underneath Thor, "Loki is...mine!"

Thor frowned and looked over at Loki, "And what do you say to that, Loki?"

Loki had watched the entire encounter from where he was standing, frozen in shock and confusion. Shocked that the man he'd been terrified of, who had abused him for years, had been so easily beaten by Thor. 

And that Thor had hurt Svad, said he'd _kill_ him...for Loki.

Loki wasn't sure whether he should be glad or terrified. What he should feel about his earlier fantasy of Thor protecting him had somehow become a reality, so quickly.

Thor's question managed to break Loki out of his thoughts and he glanced at the two of them; Thor over Svad, while the other lay on the ground.

"I…" Loki had no idea what to say. He knew what he _wanted_ to say but everything was telling him he shouldn't, that'd he'd only get in more trouble if he spoke his thoughts. If he admitted to what he _truly_ felt about Svad.

"Tell him you're mine, Loki! That you'd never go with him-" Svad's words were drowned out by a sudden clap of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning that Loki saw in the distance. The rain that had previously stopped began to fall down again in a light drizzle. 

The storm was starting up again and it most likely wouldn't be long until it began pouring.

The rain fell down onto the rooftop and Loki felt it hit his bare skin. 

It was such a simple feeling, but one he'd missed desperately.

He would never let Svad take that away from him or go back in that fucking apartment ever again.

Loki took in a deep breath and clenched his fists at his side, feeling the tip of his fingernails digging into the soft palm of his flesh.

"I don't belong to you! I never have!" Loki shouted. Tears flowed down his eyes as he spoke, but he ignored them, glaring down at Svad and finally spoke the words he'd been wanting to for years.

"I HATE YOU!"

He felt himself begin to tremble and his throat closing up in fear, his mind telling him to stop talking and listen to whatever Svad said. But he ignored the feeling and continued.

"I hate you! I always have! I've been wishing you were dead for years!"

Loki began to tremble again and wrapped his arms around himself and looked out across the roof, avoiding Svad's gaze. He didn't want to look at the man or see the expression on his face.

There was silence in the air, only the sound of the rain pouring from the sky, breaking the silence.

Thor finally spoke after a few moments, "Do you want me to kill him, Loki?"

Loki turned his head back towards Thor, their eyes meeting. Thor's gaze was surprisingly soft, despite the serious look on his face.

Loki didn't hesitate in his answer.

"Do it."

He probably should've turned away, covered his ears and pretended that Svad wasn't being murdered by Thor.

But Loki didn't. Instead he watched as Thor lifted his leg off of Svad - who immediately tried to push himself off the ground and get up. He wasn't very successful before Thor kicked him in the side, causing him to collapse back onto the rooftop.

Svad grunted in pain, but slowly attempted to push himself back up again and eventually managed to stand up, as Thor stood there silently, watching him.

"You fucker!" Svad yelled and ran at Thor with a raised fist, but Thor easily grabbed Svad's arm and used his other hand to punch Svad in the stomach.

Thor let Svad go and the man collapsed onto the ground, his hands wrapped around his torso as he whimpered in pain.

"I'm not done with you yet," Thor growled from where he stood above the man.

Svad couldn't even try and defend himself or escape when Thor lifted his leg once more and slammed it down on Svad's leg, a large _crack_ following.

Svad screamed in pain and Thor chuckled as he crouched down and grabbing Svad, flipping him over onto his front, "I bet you wish you hadn't put in that curfew so someone would come to your rescue, huh?"

Svad barely reacted and merely let out a whimper.

Thor punched Svad square in the face, before dropping him and standing back up.

Svad lay there, most likely in pain, a combination of snot and blood dripping from his nose as he let out a small sob and tears ran down his face. 

"I've lost track of how many people I've killed, but you've definitely been the easiest," Thor admitted as he walked around Svad, circling him like...a predator would its prey. Thor continued to speak, his voice carrying over the thunder that rumbled in the distance, "You've never lifted a finger your entire life and that didn't change after the Outbreak, did it? You've let people suffer while you sat back and taken all the rewards!"

Thor finally stopped circling and stood above Svad, glaring down at him. "I've never tried to do this before to someone, but I think I'm going to enjoy it."

Loki watched as Thor lifted his boot and slammed it right over Svad's crotch, the man immediately letting out a scream.

Thor repeated this action several more times and always in the same place. Svad's screams were drowned out by claps of thunder as the storm intensified and grew, the downpour quickly growing.

It couldn't have been more than a minute later that Thor stopped and picked up Svad by the front of his shirt and dragged him over to the edge of the roof.

Svad somehow managed to gather some strength and raised his hand to weakly place it over where Thor was holding him up.

"No...please…" he choked out.

"A bit too late for that," Thor growled before he released Svad, letting him drop off the edge. A few moments later, a _thud_ was heard as Svad's body most likely hit the ground.

Thor stood there, looking down over the rooftop, before turning back to Loki and walking over to him.

He held out his hand towards him, "We should go, Loki."

Loki nodded and reached out, placing his hand on top of Thor's. 

He simply watched as Thor crouched down and placed his discarded jacket Loki that had shrugged off earlier, back over him. Then Thor tucked his hands behind Loki's legs and back before picking him up to holding him in his arms. Loki immediately relaxed in Thor's hold, leaning his head against Thor's chest.

They were both silent, some unspoken understanding between them as Thor walked over to the door leading back inside. He went back down the staircase to the top apartment's floor and continued to walk down the hall. It was only when he passed Svad's apartment building that Thor stopped.

"We need to leave as soon as possible, but you're going to need some better clothes. Think you could grab something to throw on before we leave?"

"Yeah...I can do that," Loki nodded and walked over to the apartment door after Thor had set him back down.

To be honest, he'd rather not go back in there but he knew he had to. He couldn't leave his few belongings behind. And Thor was right, he needed some better clothing.

"Make it quick. I'll wait out here and guard the door," Thor said as he pushed the door open for Loki.

"Thank you, Thor," Loki gave him a small smile as he entered the apartment.

Loki quickly ran towards the bedroom and threw open the closet door inside the room. He pushed a few boxes to the side and sighed in relief when he saw a plastic garbage bag sitting in the corner of the closet.

He hadn't been sure if it'd still be there after two years, but apparently it was.

He quickly pulled the bag out and looked inside. Just as Loki had hoped, there were a pair of jeans, sneakers, socks, underwear and a shirt. They all looked old and worn, the colors on them incredibly faded - the jeans even had several large rips in them.

They were Loki's father's old clothes. Loki had managed to save them when he moved in with Svad and put them into the closet, but until now he had never had any reason to pull them out (and he'd been too afraid to look, in case Svad had found them and thrown them out).

They were really old and would be too big on him, but...they were all Loki had that wasn't something from Svad and that he could actually wear that was clean and more practical than what he had on now.

Loki knew he had to be quick so he threw on the underwear, jeans and shoes before going over to the bed and crouched down next to it. He pulled out his backpack for the second time that night and checked inside of it, making sure it was all there. He glanced under the bed to see if he had forgotten anything and when he was sure he hadn't, he walked out of the bedroom with his backpack on and holding the plastic bag in his hand, that had the rest of his father's clothes.

He walked through the living room and paused, looking over at the couch, where he'd only been sitting there an hour earlier, on Svad's lap.

Now, the man was dead and Loki...Loki was about to leave this place for good. With a stranger, who had just killed a person for him.

"Loki?" Thor's hushed voice caught his attention, cutting him out of his thoughts and he ran back over to the front door where Thor was waiting.

"Is that it?" Thor asked, glancing at the bag in Loki's arm and the backpack he wore.

Loki nodded and squeaked when Thor suddenly picked him back up again.

"I can walk," Loki mumbled quietly into Thor's chest.

Thor chuckled, "I'm sure, but this'll be faster, trust me."

He walked down towards the end of the hall and stopped in front of a door to the emergency exit stairwell.

Thor pushed the door open with his side and continued walking down a few flights of stairs. It was empty besides them and Thor's footsteps echoed throughout the stairwell, making Loki cringe at every step.

No one ever used these stairs and they weren't guarded because they were supposed to only ever be used in emergencies, so they most likely wouldn't be heard, but Thor's footsteps just seemed so _loud_.

They eventually reached the bottom of the stairwell and Thor pushed the final door open, walking inside of the large garage. He carefully set Loki onto the ground, but wrapped his hand around Loki's smaller one and led him over to one of the cars parked a few feet away.

The garage didn't serve much of a purpose nowadays except for extra storage, with piles of boxes and containers here and there...and the few cars stored, in case of an emergency.

"Do you know if these run at all?" Thor asked, letting go of Loki's hand as he circled one of the cars, running his hand over it and glancing inside the windows.

Loki nodded, recalling his memory of the emergency plans Svad had prepared years ago, "I...think so. The keys should be inside and the cars should have gas and stuff. They're supposed to be ready in case we need to evacuate."

"Good. I doubt we'd be able to walk out of here easily, even without the storm," Thor chuckled and opened the back door of one of the cars, smiling at Loki, "After you."

Loki climbed into the backseat and placed his bag and backpack next to him before buckling his seatbelt. 

"You wait here. I'll be back in a second," Thor said and closed the door once he saw Loki was safely inside.

Loki sat there, his hands clasped together and waited patiently for Thor to return. He heard the sound of another car door being opened and glanced out the window to see Thor climbing into the front seat of one of the other cars parked in the garage.

Anxious thoughts immediately began to fill Loki's head.

Had Thor lied to him? Was Thor _leaving_ him? Had this all been just a trick? A cruel joke? Was he just going to leave Loki behind?

 _No, I can't think like that_ , Loki closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before slowly exhaling, trying to keep himself calm and ignoring all his thoughts.

He opened his eyes again and saw Thor climb out of the car, shutting the door behind him. It looked like he had something in his hand, but Loki couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Thor went to the other car in the garage and did the same - climbing inside and pulling something out - before walking over to the garage doors. It took him a moment before he managed to manually open them, revealing the road outside, or what little could be seen of it. Loki could see that the storm had gotten worse - rain pouring down hard into the ground, making it almost impossible to see anything past it.

Loki turned his attention back to Thor, who finally walked back towards the car where Loki was sitting.

 _See? He came back!_ Loki let out a sigh of relief and smiled to himself, glad that Thor hadn't abandoned him.

Thor opened the driver's side door and threw his own bag in the passenger seat before attempting to get inside, but immediately hit his head on the doorframe (Loki couldn't help giggling but immediately placed his hand over his mouth to stop himself). Thor groaned in pain and rubbed the top of his head where he'd been hit before trying again. He successfully climbed inside the second time and somehow managed to fit in the driver's seat, but Loki could see that he just barely fit.

"Sorry I took so long. I was grabbing the keys to the other cars, so no one can follow us in them," Thor explained and turned his head around to look back at Loki, giving him a small smile, "Are you ready to finally leave this place?"

Loki nodded eagerly and smiled back at Thor, "Yeah. Definitely."

With that, Thor turned back around and turned the car on. It took a second before the engine started, the sound it echoing throughout the garage. Thor slowly drove the car to the garage doors and drove out into the downpour. The rain immediately began hitting the car, covering the windows in streaks in rain and making it even more difficult to see.

Even so, Loki still glanced out the window and tried his best to look out. Thor drove on the road in front of the apartment building and Loki took one last look up at the enormous building. Some lights could be seen shining through the windows of the apartments, and Loki wondered if anyone had heard anything that had happened.

Probably. But Loki knew that even if someone had heard something, they wouldn't have dared left their rooms to go investigate. Or maybe someone brave and stupid enough did. Who knows?

He wondered what would happen, when people finally left their rooms and searched the building. If anyone would check Svad's apartment and what they'd do when they found it empty?

What would they do, with their leader dead?

Loki shook his head, chasing those thoughts away. They didn't concern him. Not once had anyone there had ever been nice to him or tried to help him out. Not before his father died and certainly not after.

Except...Amora.

Loki wished he had gotten to say goodbye to her, before he and Thor had left, but it was too late now. She would probably wonder what had happened to Loki, but she'd probably be fine and move on quickly. That's just how she was and Loki had liked that about her.

Thor continued to drive down the road, as Loki kept his eyes on the apartment building, his thoughts wandering, until he could no longer see it in the distance.

He smiled to himself as he continued to gaze out the window.

He and Thor had done it - they'd managed to escape. Svad was dead, they hadn't been caught and no one was following them.

A weight in Loki's chest disappeared and let out a sigh of relief. He felt tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes eyes and before he could stop himself, he was crying. He sniffled and reached up to try to wipe them away, but they just kept flowing down his face, streaking his cheeks and falling down onto his lap.

"Loki...are you okay?" Thor glanced back briefly before turning back around to look at the road.

Loki took in a deep breath and breathed back out, letting out a chuckle. "I'm fine. Just...happy, I guess. And...relieved."

"Oh…" Thor reached one of his hands back towards Loki and placed it gently on his knee, stroking it with his thumb. "You should try and get some sleep. It's been a very...eventful night."

"Yeah. That's not a bad idea," Loki mumbled and let out a sigh, attempting to wipe away his tears one last time. He leaned his head against the cool window and closed his eyes, suddenly realizing how tired he felt. It didn't take long at all for him to doze off, the hum of the car engine and the thudding of the rain against the car roof, lulling him to sleep.

He startled awake when he felt a hand on his shoulder and his eyes snapped open to see Thor leaning inside the open car door.

"Shh, it's ok, Loki," Thor whispered, "You can go back to sleep, I'm just moving you to my car."

"But I'm already in a car," Loki mumbled sleepily.

Thor chuckled as he reached over to unbuckle Loki's seatbelt, "I know, but I parked _my_ car over here before I ran into some of the people who lived in Svad's apartment building. I'm just gonna move you to it, ok?"

Loki registered Thor's words and sleepily muttered, "M-kay."

Thor picked him up in his arms and Loki shivered at the sudden cold gust of air he felt as Thor carried him outside. He glanced around briefly and his eyes were immediately drawn to the large van parked a few feet away, the side door of it wide open and emitting a bright light from inside.

Thor carried him over to the van and stepped inside, before setting Loki down on a bed in the back of the vehicle.

Loki let out a happy sigh when he was placed on the soft bed and was about to lay down on it when Thor stopped him.

"What?" Loki glared weakly at Thor. He was tired and wanted to go back to sleep.

"I need to take your clothes off, Loki. They're still a bit wet. And I doubt you want to sleep in jeans," Thor replied back, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah ok, that makes sense," Loki nodded and shrugged off Thor's jacket, which Thor took and placed it somewhere behind him. Loki stripped off the rest of his clothing, until he was just down to his underwear.

He shivered, goosebumps forming on his skin as he was suddenly practically naked and exposed to the cold air around him.

"You can lay down, now," Thor quietly suggested, placing his warm hand on Loki's arm.

Loki did as he was told and finally laid down onto the bed, setting his head on the pillow at the head of it, closing his eyes. He felt a soft blanket being placed over him and happily curled up underneath it.

He felt Thor place his large hand on the top Loki's head, covering it completely as he gently stroked Loki's hair. "Comfortable?" Thor asked, his voice soft.

"Mmh," Loki responded, already feeling himself dozing off, Thor gentle touch comforting and soothing him.

It didn't take him very long to fall back asleep, warm and comfortable in the bed. But it wasn't just that. For the first time in quite a few years, he felt safe and secure - in a bed in the van of a man he barely knew, but who had also saved him.

\-----

Loki woke up to the sound of rain gently hitting the top of the roof of the van. He groaned in displeasure and kept his eyes tightly shut, trying his best to ignore the noise and go back to sleep.

Loki hated waking up. He wasn't a morning person to begin with, but after living with Svad for so long, he began to dread waking up each morning and wondering what the new day would bring.

This morning was no exception. With all that had gone on from yesterday, he wasn't all that eager to open his eyes and face the world. He was comfortable under the blanket and so warm, the press of someone behind him strangely reassuring, especially with the heavy arm thrown over his waist.

But Loki couldn't go back to sleep, his mind was already wide awake, recalling the events of last night.

He had no _Where am I?_ panic that he'd read about in stories when people wake up. He remembered everything that had happened last night and knew he was most likely safe. He certainly _felt_ safe, wrapped up warmly in someone else's arms.

Loki begrudgingly opened his eyes, which were rather sore from crying yesterday, and slowly turned his body around to face the person behind him.

Thor.

The man was fast asleep and barely reacted to Loki's movements, only his arm on Loki's waist twitching slightly before quickly settling back in its place.

Loki glanced up, staring at Thor's face. He didn't quite look all that peaceful in his sleep, with his mouth formed into a deep frown and wrinkles creasing his forehead. And he still had his eyepatch on, covering one of his eyes.

But despite all that...Loki couldn't help but appreciate how handsome Thor was, even in his sleep.

Loki turned his attention away from Thor and carefully sat up, the blanket falling off of him and he immediately shivered as the cold air hit his bare skin. 

Right, he was still pretty much naked.

Loki lifted the blanket back up over himself, accidentally pulling it off of Thor (who stayed fast asleep), and glanced around to take in his surroundings that be had missed from last night.

Loki remembered the van his father used to have and the few times he'd ridden in it, but Loki could see right away that the vehicle he was in was very different from the one his father had owned.

Straight ahead Loki could see a driver and passenger seat, the front windows, etc, which was all normal. But behind the passengers side, there looked to be a counter, with some cabinets underneath and above it, lining the side of the van. On top of the counter lay Loki's clothes and Thor's jacket, the last looking rather damp. Thor must've placed them there after Loki had taken them off last night. 

Down on the floor, next to the door of the van, Loki saw both his own and Thor's backpack along with the plastic bag Loki brought. So now he knew where his stuff was, at least.

The thing that took up the most space in the van though, was the large bed that Thor and Loki were currently laying on, fitted into the very back of the vehicle.

Loki glanced behind him to see the back doors of the van, with a black curtain covering the upper half of them. He pushed one aside to see a window behind and gazed out of it.

It was still pouring, the rain hitting the glass and making the view blurry. But Loki was still able to see what looked like a dirt road with large trees surrounding it on either side.

That didn't really help him figure out where they were, but he supposed it didn't matter much. He didn't care where he was, as long as he was away from Svad's apartment building.

With a sigh, Loki laid back down in bed, pulling the blanket back over him and snuggling back up next to Thor, who was very warm.

And also...very _hard_ , Loki realized, feeling something nudging up against him.

Loki reached down underneath the blanket and lightly brushed his hand against the area.

Yep. Thor was hard.

Morning wood, Loki recalled, was what it was called, when people got hard and aroused in the morning.

Svad had mentioned many times to Loki how he'd love to be woken up to Loki's lips around his cock. Of course it never happened because Svad was pretty much always gone in the mornings, checking the apartment and making sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing. (Of course later in the evening he'd usually make Loki give him a blowjob, to make up for it)

Maybe...Thor would enjoy waking up to Loki sucking him off? As a small "thank you" for everything and for Loki to show Thor what he was willing to do for him? So Thor would want to keep Loki around, if he knew Loki would service him?

Decision made, Loki pushed the blanket back off of him and looked down at Thor, who was only wearing a simple t-shirt and some boxer briefs, where Loki could already see the large bulge.

Loki froze and held his breath when Thor suddenly moved and rolled over onto his back, but his eyes remained closed, still asleep.

Well. That just made it easier for Loki.

He maneuvered himself to the edge of the bed, crouching over Thor's legs, straddling them. He reached over and grabbed the edge of Thor's boxers, carefully pulling them down.

Loki let out a small squeak when Thor's cock slipped out of his boxers, on full display for Loki to see.

Thor was indeed very big all over.

Loki had only seen one other cock before to compare Thor's to (because it's not like Loki had one) and that had been Svad's. And Thor was definitely bigger than Svad had been.

Thor's cock was quite long, but it wasn't his length that surprised Loki, it was his girth. It was wide and fat, and while Loki had expected Thor to be big, it was still...a surprise to see.

Loki wondered if he'd even be able to fit his mouth around it, much less his hands.

But he had to at least try, so Loki gently wrapped his hand around the base of Thor's cock, not surprised when he couldn't fit his hand around it completely. He tucked a few strands of hair behind his ear before leaning forward and giving the head of Thor's cock a small lick. The salty taste of precum hit his tongue, but it didn't bother him (he was used to the taste by now) and he bent his head back down to give Thor's cock a few more licks before wrapping his lips entirely around the head of it.

He heard Thor moan, followed by a startled, "Loki?!"

Loki kept his mouth firmly around Thor's cock and hummed in response, eliciting another moan from the man.

Thor sat up slightly, his eyes widening as he glanced down at Loki. "Fuck, Loki, you don't have to-"

"I wanna," Loki spoke quietly, before taking the head of Thor's cock back in his mouth, 

It wasn't a lie, he did want to.

Thor seemed to have accepted Loki's answer and let his head fall back onto the bed. Loki was slightly startled when he felt Thor place his hand on the top of Loki's head, but Thor didn't do anything more than slide his fingers through Loki's hair, barely even gripping them.

Loki continued to suck on the tip of Thor's cock before moving his head further down and attempting to take more of Thor into his mouth. But Thor was so _big_ and Loki couldn't get very far before he lifted his head back up, releasing Thor's cock and taking several deep breaths.

"You don't have to push yourself, Loki. Not many people have been able to take me all the way. I wouldn't expect you to," Thor spoke up after Loki's managed to catch his breath. He seemed to be trying to console Loki and discourage him from trying, but Loki could hear the slight teasing tone in Thor's voice.

Fine then. If Thor thought Loki couldn't take more of him, Loki would just have to prove him otherwise.

Loki let out an annoyed huff before bending back down and taking Thor's cock into his mouth once more, feeling as it filled his mouth completely and hit the back of his throat. 

Loki closed his eyes and moaned, relishing the sensation of Thor's fat cock inside his mouth. It fit so snugly, and Loki could feel it throbbing and pulsing up against his tongue - could feel drool building up in his mouth and escaping from the corner of his lips to drip down onto the rest of Thor's cock.

He hadn't even fit all of Thor inside him, but it was already so much.

"Oh, fuck-" Loki heard Thor gasp, "Oh my god, babydoll. Your mouth feels so good. You're so perfect-"

Thor's words -his _praise_ \- warmed something inside Loki. No one had ever praised him, not like this.

He loved it.

Loki wasn't all too surprised when he felt his _other_ lips beginning to drool.

Thor's cock, his voice, gentle touch and the praise, it was all affecting Loki. 

He'd gotten Svad off many times, but Loki had barely ever been aroused himself during those times. It was all about Svad and the man had never been gentle or grateful.

But Loki was definitely aroused and very wet, with Thor's cock in his mouth, and although the urge to reach back and touch himself was strong, he ignored it.

Right now was about Thor and Loki couldn't pull his attention away from Thor just to get himself off.

Loki began bobbing his head up and down, listening to Thor's moans and swears as Loki repeatedly swallowed Thor's cock. Whatever Loki couldn't fit into his mouth, he used his hands to stroke, his drool providing a handy -if not messy- lubricant.

Loki became so lost in the rhythm and sensation as he sucked Thor's cock, that he almost missed it when Thor's hand tightened in his hair. Not enough to hurt, but it did manage to catch Loki's attention and to hear Thor pant out a breathy, "Shit, babydoll, I'm going to come-"

Loki opened his eyes just in time to watch Thor toss his head back and let out a deep guttural groan as he came inside Loki's mouth. 

It wasn't the first time Loki had ever swallowed a man's seed, he'd done it many times with Svad and managed just fine. But...Thor came a lot and his orgasm caught Loki by surprise.

He was able to swallow a little of it down before it was too much and he pulled off of Thor's cock, coughing and sputtering, a combination of drool and cum dripping down from his mouth.

As soon as Loki managed to stop coughing, he bent back down and licked the remaining cum off of Thor's now flaccid cock. It still twitched on occasion and he heard Thor let out a sigh or groan as Loki teased Thor's clearly sensitive cock, but it didn't get hard again.

When Loki finished, he sat up, still straddling Thor's leg and looked down at the man, giving him a small smile, "Was that ok?"

"'Ok'? That was more than ok, Loki," Thor chuckled, pushing himself up on his elbows to sit up and lean against the back wall of the van. He reached out and cupped the side of Loki's face in his hand, his thumb stroking Loki's cheek softly.

Loki didn't think he'd ever stopped being amazed by how _big_ Thor's hand was, but how...gentle he was when touching Loki.

"Do you want me to return the favor?" Thor asked and Loki didn't miss the way he briefly glanced down at Loki's crotch.

"Ah-I...well…" Loki was at a loss. He hadn't even thought of Thor doing anything to him, the thought hadn't even crossed his mind, he'd only been thinking about servicing Thor.

Loki saw the smile of Thor's face quickly turn into a frown at Loki's hesitance.

"Have you ever been...pleasured, Loki?"

Loki shook his head and answered, his voice quiet, unsure why Thor's question made him feel ashamed. "No. I only ever serviced Svad. He never did anything to me. But I didn't mind. And I still don't mind! You don't have to get me off or anything. I don't mind servicing you."

Thor's hand fell away from Loki's face and he immediately missed the warm presence of it.

"I should've stopped you," Thor sighed, his voice muffled as he placed in head in his hands, "You're too young and naive. I'm no better than Svad."

 _That_ last statement got Loki's attention. A strong feeling of anger and disgust came over and he wasn't able to stop himself from snapping.

"You're _nothing_ like Svad, Thor! He was horrible and was rough with me and hurt me so many times! You're not him, Thor! You didn't hurt me! It was my choice to get you off! You didn't make me do anything!"

Loki could feel tears dripping down his face and he attempted to wipe them away with his hands, unsure of when he had started crying and _why_ he was. He had no reason to cry, right?

He heard Thor sigh and Loki glanced over at him to see Thor holding his arms out, "Come here, Loki."

Loki nodded and moved closer to Thor, feeling himself relax as Thor wrapped his arms around Loki and pulled him close. Thor maneuvered him so Loki was sitting directly on his lap and leaning against his chest, with the blanket covering both of them. Thor's arms were still securely wrapped around Loki, one of his hands stroking the curve of Loki's back in a soothing gesture.

"Is this ok?" Thor asked, and when Loki gave a small nod, he continued. "I think...we need to discuss a few things, Loki."

"Like what?" Loki prompted Thor, glancing up at him.

Thor hummed in thought and it was a few moments before he answered, "Well...like...is your name even Loki?"

The question seemed... _silly_ to Loki and he couldn't help the giggle that escaped his mouth.

"Of course it is! What kind of question is that?"

Thor shoulders rolled back in a shrug and he looked off to the side, avoiding Loki's gaze. "It's a valid question. Lots of people use different names than the one they prefer for whatever reasons. But I was just wondering because...well…you…"

Thor trailed off and seemed to struggle with his figuring out what to say. He was silent for a few moments and Loki waited patiently until Thor cleared his throat and continued.

"I don't know if Svad chose your name or anything. Or if you have a different name you prefer that people refused to use."

It took Loki a few seconds to register what Thor had said and to understand what he was trying to ask.

"Loki is my name," Loki confirmed, his voice steady as he spoke, "I chose it before the Outbreak and I've used it ever since. Svad had nothing to do with it. For all his faults, he never questioned my name. Or that I was trans and identified as a boy. Funny how he was a horrible person, but at least he wasn't transphobic."

Loki chuckled at his own joke, but it sounded weak and hollow even to his own ears.

Thor was silent and Loki took it as a cue to continue talking.

"And I am trans, in case you were wondering or anything. Although maybe you've already figured it out, since Svad called me a boy and stuff, but you've seen my body and know I don't have a dick or anything. I assume you don't have an issue with it or else I wouldn't be here. Or maybe you do and you're just-"

"Loki."

Hia rambling was thankfully cut off by Thor and he glanced up to look at the man.

Thor placed his hand on top of Loki's head, running his fingers through Loki's hair. "I have no issue with it and I assumed you were a boy. I just wanted to make sure that I didn't call you something you're not."

"Oh ok," Loki felt himself calm and relax as Thor's hand slid through his hair, letting out a sigh of relief. He hadn't thought much about how Thor would treat Loki because he was trans. Loki had been too worried about just getting away from Svad, but Loki was glad Thor seemed to be fine with it.

"And...I did hate it when Svad called me 'Princess'. Really hated it. I told him I didn't like it, but...he insisted it was perfect for me. That I was his 'princess'," Loki admitted, after a moment, letting out a frustrated sigh. "But I did like what you called me earlier."

"...Babydoll?" Thor asked, his voice unsure.

Loki nodded, smiling, "Yeah, that. I liked it when you called me that."

"I...didn't even realize I'd say that, it just...came out," Thor chuckled, a slight embarrassed look on his face, "But aright. No 'princess', but 'babydoll' is fine."

 _More than fine,_ Loki thought to himself. He had liked it when Thor had said the petname earlier. Really liked it. He definitely wouldn't mind Thor using it, again.

Loki was broken out of his thoughts when Thor cleared his throat, catching Loki's attention.

"But speaking of earlier...I suppose we should discuss your little wake up call for me," Thor stated, a frown on his face, "You don't have to do that kind of thing for me, Loki.

A sudden feeling of fear overcame Loki upon hearing Thor's words. "Did you not enjoy it?"

If Thor hadn't enjoy it, what would he do? Would Thor discipline Loki until he would know exactly how to pleasure Thor. Or would he just abandon Loki here and drive off without him?

No, Thor couldn't abandon him! Loki would die on his own! He needed Thor, he-

"No, I did enjoy it. Very much," Loki's thoughts were cut off by Thor's answer, immediately dispelling the different scenarios in Loki's head. But Thor's next words only confused Loki more.

"But that's not the point. You don't have to do anything like that, Loki. I didn't take you with me so you could be my sex slave, I took you with me because you clearly needed help and...I guess I was just trying to be a hero. Or something. I don't know."

Thor let out a groan of frustration and released his grip on Loki, bringing his hand up to rub his forehead.

He was silent for a minute or so, holding his head in his hands and seeming to be lost in thought.

"I'm not...going to force you to do anything, Loki. I know back on the rooftop, you said I could use your body, but I'm not going to," Thor finally spoke and lifting his head back up to look at Loki, making sure his one eye met Loki's. "You don't have to pleasure me in any way. I'll let you stay with me and protect you regardless. So, you don't have to force yourself to-"

"I didn't."

Thor stared at Loki in confusion, "What?"

"I didn't...force myself," Loki repeated, "I did want to suck your cock and I got aroused when I did it. I mean, I also did it because I thought you'd enjoy it and let me stay with you if I took care of you, but I also just...wanted to do it. And I enjoyed it."

Loki felt a warmth rise up in his cheeks as he spoke and knew he was blushing, but unsure as to why. He glanced to the side, avoiding Thor's gaze, "It felt really good to have your cock in my mouth. I would like to do it again."

"...Alright."

Thor spoke so softly, Loki almost didn't hear him. He looked back over at Thor, who had an expression on his face Loki couldn't quite deceiver. Guilt? Resignation? Confusion? Sadness? Arousal? All of them?

Thor let out a sigh and looked at Loki with his one eye.

"I don't claim to be a good man, so...I won't stop you, Loki. If you ever want to do sexual activities with me, just ask. I doubt I'll say no or try to stop you. But I won't force you to do anything you don't want to. So, we'll need a safeword, just in case I push you too much and you want to stop."

"A...safeword?" Loki tilted his head to the side, confused.

"It's a word that can be used in sexual situations that means we can stop everything, no questions asked. It's a word you wouldn't normally hear during sex, so it's easy to listen for. I guess it's sort of like a codeword that means 'no'," Thor explained, "So, pick your word."

"Oh...ok…" Loki glanced down, findling with his hands as he thought it over. A codeword that would signal they stop everything...something that could be easy to listen for…

"How about 'tesseract'?"

"Tesseract?" Thor asked, now the one with a confused look on his face.

Loki nodded and let out a small chuckle, "I read it in a book once. Will it work?"

"Tesseract…" Thor muttered to himself. He shrugged, "It can work. Just as long as you remember it."

Loki nodded eagerly, "Yes, tesseract is my safeword! I won't forget it!"

For some reason, that seemed to elicit a smile out of Thor. "Ok. Tesseract is your safeword."

But after a moment, his smile disappeared and was replaced with a rather serious expression. 

"There is one more thing, Loki."

"...Yes?"

Thor's cupped the side of Loki's cheek gently in his hand, but his words were anything but gentle, "When it comes to survival, Loki, you _have_ to do everything I say. This world is fucking dangerous and you could die if you make one wrong move. You could get _me_ killed if you make a mistake. So whenever we're outside or if it has to do with survival, do everything I say and don't question it. Ever."

Loki nodded, meeting Thor's eye with his own and hoping Thor saw his own seriousness reflected back in them. "I understand. I'll listen and do everything you say. I promise."

"Good," Thor let out a sigh of relief, before continuing, "And I just want you to know, if at any point, you don't feel comfortable with me anymore or find a different group of survivors and maybe want to stay with them, you're free to leave. I won't make you stay with me if you don't want to and I won't get mad if you leave."

That was...something Loki hadn't considered, but it was a relief to hear. He doubted he'd want to leave Thor, since the man made him feel very safe and protected. Loki didn't think anyone else could manage to do that.

"I don't think I'd want to leave, but thank you for the option anyway," Loki smiled up at Thor.

"I'm not gonna trap you with me, Loki. There's a bunch more people out in the world that can give you better opportunities than I ever could. _Better_ people. You deserve-" Thor cut himself off and let out another sigh, "Nevermind. Is there anything you wanted to ask me?"

Anything he wanted to ask Thor?

Loki was silent, thinking over their past conversation and figuring out what he could ask Thor.

Honestly, there were a lot, but Loki doubted Thor would be willing to answer them. Like where he had been before the Outbreak? What did he do before it and who had he been? What had he done after it? How old was he? How had he lost his eye? Did he even lose his eye or was the eyepatch just for aesthetic? How had he gotten this van? Why had it seemed like Svad had known who Thor was earlier? And where was Thor planning on going now with Loki?

They all didn't seem like questions Loki would be able to get answers to. At least not for now. He didn't want to annoy or anger Thor with too many questions. Maybe later, after Loki had spent more time with Thor, he'd ask a question here or there if it came up.

But there was one thing he was sure Thor wouldn't say "no'' to.

"Um...would it be alright if I asked for a kiss?" Loki ventured in a quiet voice. He was unsure if Thor had even heard him and was about to repeat his question when Thor answered with a question of his own.

"Where would you want me to kiss you?"

"On my mouth-lips-" Loki stumbled over his words, suddenly feeling rather embarrassed for some reason. "If that's ok. I mean, I did just suck you off, it'd probably be gross-"

"It's fine, Loki," Thor cut him off and smiled at him, "I don't mind giving you a kiss."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Loki's in a soft and short kiss.

Loki's first kiss, unbeknownst to Thor.

"Another?" Loki asked, almost as soon as Thor pulled away.

"Alright," Thor chuckled before pressing his lips once more against Loki's, but this time for a few seconds longer.

"Good?" Thor asked after pulling away, again.

"Yeah, very good," Loki nodded, his cheeks warm as he raised his hand to his mouth and felt where Thor had kissed him. It had been just as simple and soft as the first one, but...Loki had liked it.

He liked kissing. And kissing Thor, apparently.

"Well, if you ever want me to kiss you again, all you have to do is ask," Thor smiled at Loki.

"Then...could you kiss me, again?" Loki smiled back at Thor and giggled when Thor pressed a kiss against Loki's cheek.

"Again?"

A kiss against his nose.

"Again?"

A soft kiss against his neck, followed by another.

(The bruises Loki remembered were there, he barely gave any thought. They didn't hurt anymore.)

Loki knew that soon he'd have to face the world on the outside and he'd have to adjust to living with Thor and everything that would entail.

But for now, he was content to be kissed by Thor.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hoped you enjoyed it💕💕💕
> 
> (Also I will write more of this AU and it is a series ^^ So there will be more to come! This is only the beginning ;3)


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